Trap



J. MANNING, SII.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MMI. 5. I92o.

1,356,775. Patented ot.-26,1920.

lf El whe."

w//I/ESSES v 1 IMM" 5,, I @0MM l@ l &. no3/IHS JAMES MANNINasn., 0;;1'1MARATH0NQTEXASV.

Application iled March 5,

T0 all 'whom imag concer/n: 'Y

Be it knownz that I, JAMES MANNING, Sr., a citizen of the United States, and a re'si- Vdent of Marathon, in the county of Brewster and State of Texas, :have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traps, of which the following is aV specification.

My invention is an improvement in traps, and has `for its object to provide mechanism in connection withy spring traps, which is 'controlled by the closing of the trap, for

sweeping the jawsV free from obstruction which might hinder the proper closing of the yjaws, and for spacing the jaws, when closed, slightly, so that the bones of the leg of the animal caught in the trap will not be crushed.

In the drawings: t

Figure l is a perspective view of the 1mproved trap in 'set condition;

Fig. 2 isa topview of the trap sprung; y Fig. 3 is a perspective vview of the attachment for sweeping the jaws free from obstruction. j

The presentembodiment of the invention is shown in connection with a trap consisting yof similar jaws l, which are hinged to the upstanding arms 2 of the .yoke shaped V base?) to swing-into the same plane in set condition or into engaging position to grasp` the animal. Substantially'U-shaped springs 4 are engaged with the arms 2 of the yoke,

.beneath the pivotal connection of the jaws,

each arm of each spring having an opening -5 through which the arm of the yoke extends. Y

A bait pan 7 is arranged at the center of the base, the saidy bait pan being connected with the usual trigger mechanism indicated generally at 8. for holding the jaws set until the bait pan, with the bait thereon, is depressed. This trigger mechanism 1s mounted on a laterally extending arm 9` from the bodyof the yoke and is of usual construction. A chain 10 is connected with one of the U-shap'ed springs by means of a loop 1l of metal, which engages the body of the spring and to which a link of the chain is connected. Y

In setting the trap, the feet of the trapper are placed on the upper members of the U-shaped springs, and it will be noticed that the upper members are corrugated or roughened to prevent .slipping of the feet.

The upper members of the springs are pressed downwardly, until the jaws l` can be Specicatin of Letters Patent.

1920. serial No. 363,427.'

obstructions Vobtaining place-'between the -jaws hold the jaws fromfclosingftightlyf'on j the animal; 4thuspermitting"the animal to Patented oet. 26,1920, i

- swung outwardly away vfrom each-other and into approximately 'the same plane.,` Oneof -l the jaws, is engaged by the trigger vmecha- Vnism and .the trap `is held setuntil the bait `panis disturbed bythe animal.y VrIhi'srev leases: thev trigger. mechanismV and-thejaws escape. Such obstructions Ymay' iind place i on the trap accidentally or they may be l placed thereto conceal the trap, as, for instance, leaves, grass and the like. Iny order to free the jaws from obstruction Vin advance of their closing action, I arrange upon each yoke arm 2, just above the upper member of the spring 4, a'ring 12.' Each of these rings has an arc shaped bar 173 arranged diametrically thereof, on its upper face, the bar arching upwardly over thel plane of the rings.V The rings are so ar-V ranged that the vbars 13 are between the jaws. vW'ith this arrangement, when the trap is sprung, the rings will be forced upwardly by the upward movementof the upper members of the spring 4, with the bar 13 between the jaws, and the said bars top to bottom ofthe jaws.

'will move from rlhe jaws, as shown, are U-shaped,vv the arms being pivoted to the yoke arms, with the bodies lying substantially parallel with the body of the yoke, the bars 13 will move from the pivotal connection of the jaws to` the bodies of the jaws, clearing the jawsV from any obstructions that may be between them. The bai-s will" also space the jaws slightly apart, as shownin Fig. 2, so that4 the bone of the leg of the animal will not be crushedV nor the tendons severed, to per-A mit the animal to escape by leaving his leg.

in the trap.

I claim:

l. In combination `with a lspring trap comprising abase lhaving 'at each endv an` Y upstandi'ng lug, U-shaped Vjaws comprising bodies yand arms hinged to the lugs toswing into the same -plane or toward eachother, U-springs normally operative to swing the jaws toward each other, and washers mountlfv i ed on thevlugs above thewUfsprin'gs and i'id-` Y ing up the 'arms of the jaws when they i swing together, each .washer `having con-y nected therewith Van larc shapedcross; bar Y extending between the jaws ii'o I 'i 2'. In combination with a spring trap comprising a base having at each end an upstanding lug, U-shaped Vjaws Comprising bodies and arms hinged to the lugs to swing into the same plane or toward each other, U-springs normally operative to swing the jaws toward each other, and washers mount ed on the lugs above they U-springs and riding up the arms of the jaws when they swing together, l.each washer having connected A Vtherewith a cross bar extending between the arms of the jaws for theV purposespecied. 3. In a spring trap, the combination Vwith the jaws and the springs for closing the jaws, of means controlled by the expansion of the spring and moving between the. jaws` for clearing obstructions from between Vthe jaws prior to the closing thereof,

and limited in their movement with respect\ Vto the jaws to a position suchr thatthey will be between the jaws when they are closed.

1 4:. In a spring'trap, the combination with the jaws and the springs for yclosing the jaws, of means controlled by the expansion the jaws and the springs for closing the Y e jaws, of means Controlled by the expansion of the spring and movingbetween the jaws for clearing obstructions from between the jawsprior to the closing thereof.v

JAMEs V'MAVNNKING, sa 

